The twang comes in the form of stacks of ear pleasing pedal
steel guitar prevalent amongst the onslaught of indie guitar anthems, mixed
with synths and drums, thus leading to a record impossible to pinpoint its
defining era. If a genre label is required, look no further than
indie-Americana and those tempted by a touch of twang added to their rock will
be hooked by the appeal. The first two tracks ensure this as ‘Far Away’ and ‘Off Track’ get the proceedings off to a soaring start. Gradually
the pace fluctuates in tune with the message that Lilly wants to get over and
some serious ballads emerge as the album rolls through its twelve tracks.
As you would expect from a Hiatt, the song writing is
original, solo and rich in the substance of the intelligent word. The song
title expertise peaks at the memorable number ‘Jesus Would’ve Let Me Pick the Restaurant’. This is one of several
tracks to have an asterisk against as stand-out potential, although like so
many outstanding releases, the ultimate appeal is in the single play entity.
The marketing team behind the record has issued ‘Get This Right’ as the promotional piece and they prove a shrewd
judge.
The album may have been out in the US for a while under the
progressive arm of Normaltown Records, but the eventual slated date for the
release to the European market is June 3 to coincide with Lilly’s venture
across the pond. In the run up, a Noise Trade sampler did make the title track
available for fans to sample alongside the ‘B’ sides and ‘Royal Blue’ proves to be the perfect closer in making you hit the
replay button or in the long run, yearning for Lilly’s next release.
‘Your Choice’ is
the obvious ‘choice’ for those preferring their music toned down a little as
this number is beautifully reeling in ballad and acoustic qualities. The
general feel of this record is tilted more towards the rock side and done with
an accent on quality while being in line with many of Lilly’s influences from
this musical angle. This ranges from 70’s punk to alt-rock offering in the
subsequent decades, though retaining a sophisticated Nashville edge which
expands the potential into many camps.
Listeners will find the album sonically pleasing throughout
with Lilly’s vocals adding a haunting and edgy side to the tracks. It will be
interesting to see how she presents these songs live in the UK when playing a
series of low key dates in June in mainly listening venues. Although I’m sure
stripped back versions will reveal the true depth of their compositions and
establish Lilly as a potential song writing force.
The multi-facetted approach in making an enduring album
calling at many points has paid off immensely. ROYAL BLUE is a regal potpourri
of indie-Americana and its intersecting sound presents Lilly Hiatt as a
performer equipped to break out as a successful recording artist. Make sure you
are present at the second stage of this sure to be a long and winding journey.